COSFAN donates N10m to UNILORIN for annual prize
By Idris Alooma
In recognition of the status of the University of Ilorin as a hub for scholarship and diplomacy, the Commonwealth Scholars and Fellows Alumni Association Nigeria(COSFAN) last Tuesday (June 16, 2026) donated the sum of N10 million to the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies (CPSS) of the University. The event was held at Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, Abuja.
The fund, according to the donor, is intended at supporting the annual award for the best graduating Ph.D. thesis in Peace and Development Studies.
Instituted in honour of Nigeria’s distinguished statesman and diplomat, Prof. Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, CFR, the prize marks a new chapter in UNILORIN’s drive for internationalisation, academic excellence, and research that directly addresses peace, security, and national development.
Speaking on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research, Technology and Innovation), Prof. Muhtar Adeiza Etudaiye, expressed gratitude for the gesture. He described the endowment as a commendable demonstration of COSFAN’s commitment to advancing academic excellence, research, and innovation in areas critical to Nigeria’s future.
Assuring the Association of prudent management, Prof. Etudaiye said the fund would be judiciously deployed to sustain postgraduate scholarship. He also reaffirmed UNILORIN’s resolve to deepen its partnership with COSFAN and with Prof. Gambari, whose life of service continues to inspire generations of scholars and public servants.
Also speaking, the honouree, Prof. Gambari, recalled being honoured by Angola for chairing the UN Peacekeeping Joint Commission that ended the country’s crisis, a mission that earned him and former President Olusegun Obasanjo the Peace and Development Medal from President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço last year.
Prof. Gambari stressed that such awards must inspire youths to embrace peace and excel in their professions, because no commitment is higher than preserving peace in our country.
The endowment was conceived by COSFAN’s immediate past President, Dr Ruth Abiola Adimula, an Associate Professor at CPSS, who described Prof. Gambari as a mentor to many and a diplomat whose contributions to global peace and development remain immense.
Dr Adimula, who is also a legal luminary, explained that the initiative was established as an enduring legacy in honour of the former Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and a distinguished son of the University’s host community.
She also commended the new COSFAN President, Dr Ekundayo Samuel, for sustaining the vision and thanked other leaders for their support.
In his contribution, the Director of CPSS, Prof. Gbemisola Animasawun, appreciated COSFAN’s gesture. He stated that CPSS wouldl continue to partner with relevant stakeholders for peace building and national development.
He further stated that the Centre would not relent in its pursuit of Vision 1:10:500 of the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN
